Well, if you have people in charge that know wtf they are doing, then you should have a pretty good gauge of what the team needs and where the team is at.

Apparently the Oilers are a finished product after a two year rebuild and can make a run for the Cup as they are currently constructed. With all the recent draft picks of the last four years in the lineup and counted on to contribute heavily.

Well, if you have people in charge that know wtf they are doing, then you should have a pretty good gauge of what the team needs and where the team is at.

Apparently the Oilers are a finished product after a two year rebuild and can make a run for the Cup as they are currently constructed. With all the recent draft picks of the last four years in the lineup and counted on to contribute heavily.

That's just dumb.

Development and Winning are not mutually exclusive. Nothing wrong with trying to steer the club out of a last place gutter.

Well, if you have people in charge that know wtf they are doing, then you should have a pretty good gauge of what the team needs and where the team is at.

Apparently the Oilers are a finished product after a two year rebuild and can make a run for the Cup as they are currently constructed. With all the recent draft picks of the last four years in the lineup and counted on to contribute heavily.

That's just dumb.

Maybe they should just go back to losing.

They probably won't make the playoffs but at this point they might as well at least try.

Development and Winning are not mutually exclusive. Nothing wrong with trying to steer the club out of a last place gutter.

Ya, they pretty much are. You are either concentrating on one or the other. Rarely can you do both. Especially with a team like this. This isnt the Cup champs where you can bury Hall or RNH on the third line and use them sparingly. These kids are counted on to bring it.

Such an unfortunate start to this game. Hall hits the crossbar on a fantastic individual effort and then Chicago comes down and makes it 1-0.

Petrell has a fantastic chance with the puck just sitting there with an open net and somehow can't put it in the net and Chicago comes down and scores to make it 2-0.

This game could have easily started 2-0 for Edmonton. Then the rest of the game went much like Oilers games have gone in the past couple years. You get a goal to make it close and then give one up right away to kill all the momentum.

Hall was as dangerous tonight as he looked in a while now. Good sign. That chance he had early in the 1st was outstanding and the reason he went first overall. And he got absolutely robbed not too much later by Crawfords glove off a blistering wrist shot.

It'll be good to get back home. I was really hoping for 3-3 on this road trip and 2-4 stings, especially since they started 2 and 1. But I think we all knew that this team was going to hit a slide like this. I was saying this last PGT I think, but now we need to see how they respond. A few days home and a home game hopefully will but this team needs.

Even if I had a source for this I would not share it on the open forum. For the record it is my opinion, just like it is your opinion that Paajarvi will never be a 2nd liner and that Gagner is the shiz.

Maybe you shouldn't state categorically that the team is trying to trade Gagner and then upon questioning indicate that its just your opinion.

Point stands. You want to complain about something, don't be so lazy about it. Gagner has been winning a very high percentage of his draws this year. Don't care if he only had 3 faceoffs. To complain about Gagner always losing draws this year is stupid and lazy. Like I said - pick something else to bash him on. Once (if) his % dips below 50%, then fire away.

If someone with greater than two years of experience struggles = trade him, bench him, light him on fire use his ashes to mold hockey pucks

New prospect/shiny toy struggles then you play him more in the top 6, more PP time and with better players.

At least we've seen good and great shifts our of Gagner what have we seen from MPS? I don't care how many shifts you get and with what teammates ...make it count

Like I've pointed out several times its more than just BBO. It seems that ANY player thats been here +3 yrs is on the outs no matter who they are or what they accomplish.
This board just loses patience with any veterans on this club.

The shiny new thing always seems to come with limitless praise and an abundance of patience. Until 3 yrs at which point they're set on fire. Its the nature of the hockey futures board.

Gagner was on the catbird seat 4yrs ago and the best thing that happened to the org in years. Last year he's having an even better year and he's considered pure ***** because he's not ppg by now or something. Go figure.

Ya, they pretty much are. You are either concentrating on one or the other. Rarely can you do both. Especially with a team like this. This isnt the Cup champs where you can bury Hall or RNH on the third line and use them sparingly. These kids are counted on to bring it.

Atm, it looks like we are failing to do either.

Yeah IMO there is a clear distinction with a team like this.

Either you are developing the kids and playing a looser style of hockey or you are trying to grind your way into a 8 seed or close to it (ie: the Mac T years) and forcing a less offensive style of hockey.

There is no middle ground, this organization is going to have to choose one or the other for this season.

Like I've pointed out several times its more than just BBO. It seems that ANY player thats been here +3 yrs is on the outs no matter who they are or what they accomplish.
This board just loses patience with any veterans on this club.

The shiny new thing always seems to come with limitless praise and an abundance of patience. Until 3 yrs at which point they're set on fire. Its the nature of the hockey futures board.

Gagner was on the catbird seat 4yrs ago and the best thing that happened to the org in years. Last year he's having an even better year and he's considered pure ***** because he's not ppg by now or something. Go figure.

If Gagner was producing he'd be fine the fans books. He's not producing and he doesn't have the excuse of being a kid any more (he's been here for half a decade now playing in the pros).

Has nothing to do with "shiny new toy" syndrome, the fans seem to like their beat up old 15 year old Ryan Smyth just fine.

It's all about production. He's a high draft pick too, there should be expectations on him, I don't think there's anything wrong with expecting a player to improve from their 3rd year onwards either.

I think that it is about the "shiny new toy" syndrome to some extent. Yakupov or Grigorenko aren't likely to come in here and turn Hall, Eberle, Paajarvi and to a lesser extent, Gagner's offensive games around and yet, some people, on the basis of "Hope" seem to be looking towards another top five draft pick fixing whatever ails this team.

There's something rotten in the developmental process on the Edmonton Oilers right now. Guys are taking stark steps backwards.

I think that it is about the "shiny new toy" syndrome to some extent. Yakupov or Grigorenko aren't likely to come in here and turn Hall, Eberle, Paajarvi and to a lesser extent, Gagner's offensive games around and yet, some people, on the basis of "Hope" seem to be looking towards another top five draft pick fixing whatever ails this team.

There's something rotten in the developmental process on the Edmonton Oilers right now. Guys are taking stark steps backwards.

It's true.

Players should be developing much better. It seems they fly out of juniors, come here and stop getting better.

Like I've pointed out several times its more than just BBO. It seems that ANY player thats been here +3 yrs is on the outs no matter who they are or what they accomplish.
This board just loses patience with any veterans on this club.

The shiny new thing always seems to come with limitless praise and an abundance of patience. Until 3 yrs at which point they're set on fire. Its the nature of the hockey futures board.

Gagner was on the catbird seat 4yrs ago and the best thing that happened to the org in years. Last year he's having an even better year and he's considered pure ***** because he's not ppg by now or something. Go figure.

Gagner does squat out there... Criticism is warranted if a 5th year offensive player's game is simply offensive. No one would care what year he would be at if he actually did something out there. I don't hear too many complaints about Gilbert and Smid, who are also vets, because they are actually useful players.

Our D was brutal. Petry let Toews walk around him behind the net and then take it out front into the slot and left Bulin out to hang. Then barely minutes later the D is standing around and lets Montador basically walk in and before we know it we're down 2-0 on the road.

Like I've pointed out several times its more than just BBO. It seems that ANY player thats been here +3 yrs is on the outs no matter who they are or what they accomplish.
This board just loses patience with any veterans on this club.

The shiny new thing always seems to come with limitless praise and an abundance of patience. Until 3 yrs at which point they're set on fire. Its the nature of the hockey futures board.

Gagner was on the catbird seat 4yrs ago and the best thing that happened to the org in years. Last year he's having an even better year and he's considered pure ***** because he's not ppg by now or something. Go figure.

Why dont you slap together a list of players that have been here more than three years and tell us all why they are worth a ****?

If Gagner was producing he'd be fine the fans books. He's not producing and he doesn't have the excuse of being a kid any more (he's been here for half a decade now playing in the pros).

Has nothing to do with "shiny new toy" syndrome, the fans seem to like their beat up old 15 year old Ryan Smyth just fine.

It's all about production. He's a high draft pick too, there should be expectations on him, I don't think there's anything wrong with expecting a player to improve from their 3rd year onwards either.

Gagner was on a 50pt pace LAST season, second in team pts, and he was roundly criticized here by some of the same people doing it today.

So is it just about production? Or do people want Gagner gone period? The argument as commonly expressed is that Gagner just doesn't fit on the team. So I don't think that the sink Gagner arguments are about production.